


Basic Human Decency

by 30PacketsofKetchup



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: A little angst, Anal Sex, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Arguments, Blow Jobs, M/M, Multiple Orgasms, Praise Kink, Relationship Trouble, Scriddler, Smut, make-up sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2019-03-04 05:09:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13357179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/30PacketsofKetchup/pseuds/30PacketsofKetchup
Summary: When Jonathan got inside he found his boyfriend sitting in his favorite armchair, eyes trained on the door, expression livid. “Jon,” he said through gritted teeth.This was far from the welcome that Jonathan had hoped for, but he had to admit it wasn’t entirely unexpected.“Hello, dear,” he answered briskly as he hung up his coat, hoping in vain that he could steer the tone of the conversation in his favor.Edward snarled coldly. “Don’t you ‘Hello dear’ me. Where the hell have you been?”Jonathan took in a deep breath, prepping himself for what was surely to be a long and unhappy night. “I was working,” he said.“Oh, you were working?” Ed repeated mockingly. “I haven’t heard from you in two and a half days!” His voice was hoarse. He’d clearly been crying, though he was loathe to admit it.  “Not even a text message.”“I lost my phone.”Ed barked a sarcastic laugh. “Of course you did. What did you do, leave it in your other potato sack? ”





	Basic Human Decency

**Author's Note:**

> All I wanted to do was write a smut fic, and I ended up writing about feelings (and smut) instead

Jonathan Crane walked up the steps of his front porch, glad to finally be home after an exhausting weekend. It had been a bit of a pain hunting down the uncommon ingredients he’d needed for his new toxin; he had to spend two days brewing a large enough batch of the old toxin in order to incapacitate all the laboratory staff, and then he had to locate where the chemicals were stored, and then he had to evade the police. And just when he’d thought he was out of the frying pan, Batman’s brats had made Jonathan’s life all the more difficult by attempting to capture him. He was lucky to have escaped, chemicals still in hand. 

As he fished in his coat pocket for his house keys, he took a moment to enjoy the calm of the night around him. The cabin was secluded, nestled on the edge of the woods just outside of Gotham City. Edward had surprised him with the property. It was a far cry from the cramped apartments and dingy neighborhoods they had grown used to. Jonathan closed his eyes, listening to the symphony of crickets and frog calls on the air. He felt his shoulders relax; only now realizing how tense he had been holding them. 

It was good to be home. Jonathan couldn’t wait to change into some comfortable clothing, and to have a hot meal and a shower. And he was excited to tell Edward how successful he had been in his mission! He hoped Edward wasn’t too annoyed with him for being gone so long. 

When Jonathan got inside he found his boyfriend sitting in his favorite armchair, eyes trained on the door, expression livid. “Jon,” he said through gritted teeth.

This was far from the welcome that Jonathan had hoped for, but he had to admit it wasn’t entirely unexpected. 

“Hello, dear,” he answered briskly as he hung up his coat, hoping in vain that he could steer the tone of the conversation in his favor.

Edward snarled coldly. “Don’t you ‘Hello dear’ me. Where the hell have you been?”

Jonathan took in a deep breath, prepping himself for what was surely to be a long and unhappy night. “I was working,” he said.

“Oh, you were working?” Ed repeated mockingly. “I haven’t heard from you in two and a half days!” His voice was hoarse. He’d clearly been crying, though he was loathe to admit it. “Not even a text message.”

“I lost my phone.”

Ed barked a sarcastic laugh. “Of course you did. What did you do, leave it in your other potato sack? ”

“I believe it’s somewhere at the bottom of Gotham Harbor,” Jonathan said, keeping his voice level as he crouched to untie his mud-caked boots. Engaging with anger would only send Edward spiraling further. 

“You could have borrowed someone else’s, or used a pay phone.”

“And have the call traced? Give away our location?”

Ed looked down at his lap, at the ceramic mug he had been holding with both hands. “Or you could have just come home,” he said quietly. “If only for a minute. Just to check in with me.”

Jonathan rubbed at his eyes beneath his glasses. He knew that Edward knew that that wouldn’t have been practical. As nice as it was, moving out here to the cabin had its drawbacks, and being farther from their bases of operations was one of them. It made more sense for Jonathan to stay in the city until his work was completed. Edward was being emotional and irrational, once again. “Ed…” Jonathan began.

Edward cut him off, speech hastening and cheeks growing redder and redder with every word. “You always do this, Jonathan. You worry me sick. I never know if you’re alive or dead. If you’re hurt… or if you’ve abandoned me.”

“I wouldn’t do that, darling. You know that.”

“No,” Edward snapped. “I don’t know that!” 

He had a death grip on the mug in his hands. His ginger hair was disheveled, the skin below his eyes purpled from lack of sleep, and he was wearing pajamas that likely hadn’t been changed in days. The poor man had worked himself into a tizzy. Jonathan didn’t understand why Edward worried so much. He had been doing this kind of work for a long time. He wasn’t stupid. He didn’t take needless risks or make rash decisions. Or mistakes. Losing his cell phone had not been his fault, after all. Not really. 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he said, meaning to say much more. But when Edward cut him off for the second time in so many minutes, he realized that that was very much the wrong thing to say.

“Ridiculous? Ridiculous? I’ll show you ridiculous!” Ed stood, slamming the mug onto the coffee table. He stormed right past Jonathan and into the kitchen. The sound of drawers banging and pots and pans clattering came shortly after. 

Jonathan pondered following him, at the very least out of curiosity over what he was doing with their cookware, but he decided against it. He figured letting Ed cool off was the better option. The last time something like this happened, he had chosen to follow him and the night ended in Edward smashing half of the dishes in their cabinets. 

Left alone, Edward would tire himself out. In the meantime, Jonathan resolved to go down to his basement and cross reference some of his notes. What he had found out in the field over the weekend could quite possibly be a game changer in regards to his toxin dispersal. Once Edward was done throwing his tantrum, Jonathan would share his findings with him and if he was lucky convince the genius to help draw up the blueprints. 

Jonathan hoped this would be over soon. His lover had been known to mope for days, if the mood struck him. Edward could be so painfully dramatic. His concern for Jonathan was endearing, most of the time, but it could be equally smothering. Jonathan doubted he’d ever grow entirely used to having someone to check in with. He’d been alone for most of his life. Went where he wanted, did what he pleased. And it made him feel a little childish, sometimes, having to call home to say if he’d be back in time for dinner or not. It went against his nature.

One day Edward would understand that and this nonsense would end. 

But in the here and now, it was best to apologize. 

-

 

Work finished, Jonathan crept into the bedroom and found Edward buried in a nest of heavy blankets on their bed. Jonathan couldn’t see his face, just a mess of red hair.

“Don’t even think about getting into bed with me,” Edward said, voice muffled. “You can sleep on the couch.”

Jonathan sighed. “Ed, I’m sorry that I upset you.”

“Sure, Jonathan. Sure.” Sardonic as his tone was, it was still obvious that Edward had been crying again. If only the world knew how weepy the Riddler could be. He shifted around under the blankets, presumably moving from his side onto his back, from the shape of the heap he was under. His face was still obscured. “You’re only sorry when it suits you.”

“I’m sorry,” Jonathan insisted, leaning over the bed. “I mean it.” 

“Sometimes,” Edward said feebly. “Sometimes I wonder why we’re even together. All we ever seem to do is fight.”

“That’s not true.”

“It most certainly is. We can’t go three days without quarreling. It’s why none of our friends invite us out anymore. We’ve become that couple.” The shape that was Edward shuddered. “Like my parents.”

“We are not like your parents,” Jonathan said quickly, taking his chances and sitting down on the edge of the bed. “I would never hurt you.”

Edward pulled the blanket down to the bridge of his nose, revealing his eyes. They were piercing. Rimmed pink from exhaustion and hidden tears. “I don’t know that I believe that, Jon. I trust you, but… you do this shit so often, and when you finally come home you don’t even seem the slightest bit remorseful. And I’m left to wonder if you really care about me. If you love me even half as much as I love you. Sometimes I think you don’t even like me…”

Jonathan could feel his lukewarm heart break inside his chest. How could Edward think he didn’t love him? Jonathan’s affections were small but they were everywhere. He had reshaped his entire life to be with Edward. He didn’t get angry when Edward had taken it upon himself to rearrange Jon’s work station. And he allowed Edward to chatter on and on in his ear, even when it was too much to take. He let Edward cut his hair and tend his wounds, let him drown him in hugs and kisses even on the days when human touch made him bristle. Jonathan allowed himself to be dragged to bed at what Edward referred to as a “reasonable hour.” Ate his cooking. Wore the clothes Edward bought him. Hell, the reason he had even gotten a cell phone in the first place was because Edward insisted they have a way to keep in contact. He wouldn’t have tolerated any of those things for someone he did not love.

And he so loved Edward. 

Wasn’t that obvious? 

Of course it wasn’t, he realized. Edward was a man of theatrics and grand gestures. He didn’t view Jonathan’s actions as displays of adoration; he saw them as bare minimum human decency. And sometimes, Jonathan dolefully admitted to himself, he didn’t even offer the man that. 

“The real question,” he said, gazing down into those tearful hazel eyes. “Is why such a lovely, handsome genius such as you would ever spare a man like me a passing glance?”

Lower face still covered by the blankets, Edward’s eyes widened at the unexpected compliment. It was no secret that flattery was his weakness. Jonathan often employed it as a trump card. But this was no game. He moved closer to Edward on the bed. 

“I adore you, Edward. You are the one shining, beautiful thing in my dreary world. You are brilliant, and gorgeous, and so, so clever.” He leaned in and kissed Edward’s forehead. “And I am at a loss for why you allow me to so much as exist in your presence,” he whispered into his lover’s soft ginger hair. 

Edward stared up at him, eyes shimmering. Jonathan pulled the covers down to reveal the rest of the younger man’s face. Up close, he could see that his chin was ghosted with stubble. His lower lip was trembling. A single tear spilled over his lashes, and Jonathan’s heart broke all the more.

“Darling, I-” Jonathan said, but the rest of his words were swallowed up as Edward caught his mouth in a wet kiss. 

 

Edward’s hands were cupping the sides of Jonathan’s head, tugging him closer, whining softly into his mouth. He kissed him with fervor, tongue demanding its way inside Jon’s mouth, forceful and eager and starved. This was all he had wanted for days. His mad scientist, home and safe in his arms. Yes, he was angry. He was furious. But the authenticity of Jon’s words had struck him, had made his chest ache in such a lovely way. He didn’t want to argue anymore that night. 

Jonathan was kneeling over Edward, one gnarled hand in his boyfriend’s hair, the other laced with the fingers that were cupping his own face. His kisses tasted like chocolate and peppermint, and a little bit like cigarettes. If Edward was smoking again then he was going to have to have a word with him. He couldn’t nag Jonathan about quitting and then pick the habit back up himself. The thought was interrupted by the feeling of something stiff pressing up against his thigh. Edward was becoming aroused. What a fascinating creature he was. 

Breaking their kiss, which led to a quiet whimper from Edward, Jonathan shifted his body in order to pull the rest of the blankets aside. He trailed his fingers down the sides of Edward’s neck, pleased to find that the top buttons of his pajama shirt were already undone. Jonathan’s fingers swiftly began to unbutton the rest of them, starting just below the patch of dense red chest hair. Edward watched him with glittering eyes.

He gasped softly as delicate teeth ghosted over the edge of his throat. He twisted his fingers in Jonathan’s hair. 

“You are such a beautiful, beautiful man, Edward,” Jonathan said, breath hot against his Adam’s apple. “You are a god amongst men.”

That was a little over the top even for Edward, and he made to tell Jonathan but was cut short by a cool hand reaching down the front of his pajama bottoms. 

“And this,” Jonathan said, voice husky, as his fingers coiled around Ed’s erection. “This never ceases to amaze me.”

Edward was dazed by the sudden touch.

The hand unclasped him and Jonathan moved down the bed, situating himself so that he could press fervent kisses along the smooth perfect flesh of Edward’s lower belly. He traced his tongue across the hard curve of Edward’s hip bone, eliciting a sharp and needy moan from above. And then, without warning, he yanked at the elastic waistband of Ed’s pants and marveled as his hard pink cock sprang free. It fell against Edward’s belly with a dull slap.

“That my words and my touch can inspire such arousal. I don’t know that I’ll ever get used to that,” Jonathan whispered, planting a series of reverent kisses down Edward’s shaft. 

“Oh, Jon,” Edward gasped as his cock was swallowed up into an eager mouth with one fluid motion. 

Jonathan bobbed his head up and down in a familiar rhythm, his tongue drawing rough shapes along the sensitive flesh. He reveled in the familiar taste and scent of his partner. Salt and musk and that weird expensive soap Edward insisted on using. Jon’s fingers clawed gently at Edward’s hips. They bucked under him, carefully fucking at his practiced throat. 

Ed moaned. His mouth was dry. His head was dizzy from tiredness, and his heart was threadbare. He almost couldn’t handle the blur of emotions and sensations that flooded him now. 

All of a sudden Jonathan’s mouth left Ed’s cock, and he rose his hips after it slightly, chasing the heat.

“I’ll be right back,” Jonathan told him, moving up to kiss Ed on the cheek before he stood and walked towards the adjacent bathroom.

Edward lie back with an expressive huff, his hand grasping at his own cock in desperation. “Abandoning me again, I see,” he said theatrically.

“Yes, Ed,” Jon replied. “I’m on my way to go sneak out the bathroom window right now.” 

“It wouldn’t be the first time you chose the window over our front door,” Ed teased.

Jon answered, “I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about.” He disappeared into the bathroom. 

Edward heard water running. He let out a shaky breath, hugging his arms around himself. Why couldn’t Jonathan say such nice things all the time? Edward didn’t need or expect grand gestures- those were his thing. All he wanted was some acknowledgement. To know he was appreciated. A little bit of recognition could go a long way. 

Jonathan returned with wet hair, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. He was holding a small bottle of lubricant.

“You took a shower?” That was fast.

“Be grateful,” Jon said, discarding the towel and crawling naked over the bed to return to his place above Edward. 

Ed welcomed him back with a breathy kiss. His hands moved across Jon’s rough, scarred flesh, resting together on the small of his back. He was trying to figure out the best way to tell Jonathan that he wasn’t exactly ready to be penetrated that night. But he quickly found there was no need, as he felt the taller man drag himself over Edward’s erection. His hole was already slick with lubricant. 

Jon squirted some of the lube into his hand and slathered it over Ed’s cock with his palm. He gave it a few quick strokes before guiding it up to his own opening. Ed’s breath caught in his throat with anticipation.

“I want you to fuck me,” Jonathan told him. “Any way you like.”

Edward was panting already. Jonathan bottoming for him was a rare treat. “Yes,” was all he could think to say.

Jonathan lowered himself onto Edward’s wet hardness, hissing through his teeth as the thick head broke his threshold. Ed raised his hips gingerly, pressing the rest of himself into his lover. Once Jonathan was fully seated, he began to slowly ride him. Edward was enthralled by the tightness around him, the heat of Jon’s insides clenching at every miniscule motion. 

And all the while Jonathan was still whispering praise to him. “Such a brilliant man. What a delightful mind you have. The envy of the whole world. My darling, darling Edward.”

He rose himself up, slowly, teasingly, and then let his body crash down again. It made them both grunt. Ed allowed Jonathan to do that a couple more times. And then when he raised his hips again, Ed withdrew his cock completely. The look of confusion on Jonathan’s face gave way to surprise as Edward shoved him onto his back with a delighted laugh. 

He ran his palms across Jonathan’s emaciated chest, fingers tracing the jutting ribs and worrying at his nipples. He bent and kissed Jon’s lips, pushing himself between his thighs and reentering him. Jon groaned loudly as the fullness returned to him. His wonderful partner, the light of his life, fucking him ever so sweetly; it was ecstasy.

Edward pulled back his head to watch Jonathan’s face as he bucked into him, hips moving faster and faster. The room was spinning. Jonathan’s eyes were clouded with lust and he gazed dreamily up at Edward, moaning and gasping and saying what maybe were meant to be words. Edward smiled down at him, heart swelling with pure affection for the uncouth old bastard. Seeing him like this -breathless and yearning and moments from falling to pieces in Edward’s arms- it was a side of Jonathan that only he was privy to. This was his and no one else’s. 

He leaned in again, seeking his lover’s mouth for another impassioned kiss. His hips were pistoning hard now, set to press Jonathan’s wiry body down into the mattress until it swallowed him whole. Jonathan’s dick was bucking hard into the sweat that pooled between their stomachs, but it wasn’t enough. His hands clutched at his partner’s hair, tugging an unspoken plea. Edward shifted his weight in response, and the new angle hit Jonathan’s sweet spot perfectly. So perfectly.

“Ed,” Jonathan gulped out. “I’m-“

His cock shivered between their bellies, and Edward felt a tightening around his own as Jonathan’s orgasm peaked. He cried out a blend of curses and praise as hot come spurted forth onto his stomach. 

Edward didn’t let up at all. He just kept thrusting into Jonathan at a jackhammer’s pace. It was almost too much for Jon to take. His usually preoccupied mind was nearly empty now. The only thing he was currently aware of was the hardness accosting his battered prostate. It was a glorious and borderline painful sensation. Edward was pressing slobbering kisses all across Jon’s chest, his uncharacteristically stubbled cheeks causing gooseflesh around Jon’s small, hard nipples.

“You are mine, Jonathan,” Ed whispered in his ear. “You belong to me, and I to you.”

Jon could only moan hoarsely in response. 

“You have to understand, dear. I get upset because I love you,” Ed told him. “I only want to know that you’re safe.”

“I’m safe,” Jonathan gasped out. “I’m safe here with you.” His mind was swimming. He didn’t know what he was saying. He just knew that it had nothing to do with what Edward had been talking about. 

“Yes,” Ed said, and he rolled his hips hard against Jonathan, somehow slamming his cock even deeper into him than before. Jonathan’s overstimulated body began to tremble, and a second orgasm tore through him. He clung to Edward with his arms and his legs, choking out more incomprehensible words, his half-soft cock twitching as a small dribble of come sputtered out. 

Edward’s face was beat red, his eyes unfocused, thighs trembling. He let out a deep, quaking moan. He was coming too. He panted as he buried himself to the hilt inside Jonathan, pumping him full of his seed. It was molten hot against Jon’s sore, tortured prostate. 

They collapsed together, lying still until the room stopped spinning, skin flushed and sticky with sweat and semen. Ed would lament his sullied sheets later. For now he was content to run his hands through Jonathan’s damp salt and pepper hair, gazing into those brilliant icy eyes. The man was a boor, but he loved him so. 

Jonathan lie there, his senses coming back to him now. His entire body was sore, and he could still feel his heart thundering inside his breast. He was far from a spring chicken and Edward’s enthusiasm, as much as he appreciated it, was going to kill him one of these days. 

Wonderful, clever, incredible Edward.

He had started out so angry, and yet given the opportunity to be selfish he had resolved instead to gift Jonathan with such pleasure. Edward had granted Jonathan with more pleasure and affection in their time together than Jonathan had been deserving of. He would never deserve Edward.

And yet he had him. 

The funny, charming, melodramatic man was his. All his. 

With a small, throaty whine, Edward nestled his face into the crook of Jonathan’s neck. His soft fingers traced the details of Jonathan’s face with reverence. How he could see anything but hideousness there was anyone’s guess. 

Jon pressed his hand to Ed’s chest, feeling the heart that was beating just as rapidly as his own.

 

Jonathan knew that he had to start making a better effort, lest he lose this. 

He had been alone for most of his life. 

And he never wanted to go back to that.

**Author's Note:**

> Somehow Jonathan lost his phone in the harbor. I don't know how, but he did. Please in the comments tell me how you think Jon lost his phone. (It was the third one this month!)
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading! <3


End file.
